


Untitled

by xRabbitx



Series: Unfinished fics [2]
Category: Gossip Girl
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-05
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-28 11:09:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10830042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xRabbitx/pseuds/xRabbitx
Summary: Chuck is pining.





	Untitled

*

  
          Chuck Bass was not the sentimental type. Everything he owned was new and was replaced more or less every year (clothes were replaced once a month), even his list of contacts. He had a few people who were always on his list—Blair, Nate, Serena, Eric—but the rest was constantly replaced. It was the Golden Rule of Chuck Bass; never sleep with the same person more than two times. Blair had been the exception to that golden rule, but she was special—always had been, always would be.

          Other than an old photo of his mother, Chuck didn’t keep anything. Well, unless that one thing and, unlike the photo of his mother, he didn’t keep it framed on the wall. Hidden away in the drawer in the bedside table, it was only taken out on special occasions where he was alone and, more often than not, very drunk. It was a small conch bracelet, a row of white shells that had been tied on a leather string, which he had rubbed between his fingers so often that the cheap finish the shells were painted with had started to come off. It was the kind of bracelet that you could buy for less than $5 from a vendor on any beach in any even slightly exotic country, from Spain to Thailand. Chuck hadn’t bought it in Spain or Thailand, though. He had bought it in Monaco about fifteen years ago. He had been very, very drunk and hanging on Nate’s shoulder as they had stumbled down the beach one evening. Nate had dared him to buy something tacky and Chuck had taken the dare. He had ended up with the bracelet clutched in his hand while he had sucked Nate off under a bridge. They had never talked about it, and it was, for all intents and purposes, like it had never happened. The only thing left to remind Chuck that it had happened was the bracelet and the fact that he couldn’t stop thinking about it.

 

*

 

          It was hard to believe, but even in 2021 the _Gossip Girl_ site was still popular among the Upper Easters. Of course, most of the posts were about teenagers, but a few were still dedicated to “old timers” like Chuck. He had been given a new nickname that was actually an old nickname. It had been Dan’s once, but now Chuck was the new Lonely Boy on _Gossip Girl_. Everyone around him, Blair, Serena, Dan, Eric, had gotten married or were in committed relationships, and some had even had a kid or two already. Chuck wasn’t the marrying type.

          Nate had gotten married a couple of years ago, and Chuck had spent most of the wedding reception in the bar, getting so drunk that Nate had had to carry him to bed while Chuck rambled about beaches and regret. He had woken up the next day and gone straight to the airport to fly as far away as possible.

          That was all in the past now, Chuck told himself as he got out of the limo and took the elevator up to Nate’s apartment. It was a beautiful April evening, the kind of evening that was perfect for a stroll with your special someone. Or for your best friend’s 30th birthday party which was exactly what Chuck was going to even though he really didn’t feel like it. His reluctance had nothing to do with the actual party or the people who were going to be there, but everything to do with the small gift-wrapped box in his pocket.

          Now that he was actually here, a few stories away from Nate’s penthouse, he had no idea what had gotten into him when he’d chosen this particular gift for Nate. He wanted to turn and run, but that was pretty hard when you were in an elevator heading for the nth floor of a very, very tall building. Chuck considered pressing the emergency stop button, but before he could do anything the doors slid open to reveal Nate standing there with a wide and welcoming smile on his face.

          “You’re late,” he said and put a hand on Chuck’s shoulder as Chuck stepped out of the elevator and into the hall.

          “Fashionably late,” Chuck corrected him with a slight smile that masked just how nervous he actually was. “Happy birthday, Nathaniel.”

          Nate smiled even wider and gave Chuck’s shoulder a squeeze. “Come say hello to everyone. Blair just got here from France.”

          “Oh joy,” Chuck muttered and earned himself an elbow to his ribs.

          The penthouse was full of people, most of whom Chuck already knew one way or the other—mostly the other—and he separated from Nate who had to take care of his duties as host. He went straight over to the bar to get a drink while trying to pretend he didn’t feel horribly out of place. Everywhere he looked there were couples and every now and then a flock of kids pushed past him.

          “I thought I might find you here,” a familiar voice said, making him turn around. “At the bar, I mean.”

          “It’s lovely to see you too, Blair,” Chuck said and turned away again.

          Blair walked up to stand next to him and ran her fingers through his hair.

          “Tut-tut, are those a couple of grays, I see?” she asked. “Been under a lot of stress lately?”

          “I’m never under stress,” Chuck replied and pulled away a bit. He took a sip of his drink, his eyes wandering the room until they finally stopped and lingered on Nate who was entertaining his mother, his wife by his side.

          Blair sighed. “Why don’t you just tell him?”

          Chuck looked turned to look at her, his eyes narrowing a little. “Tell who what?”

          “Oh come on, Charles Bass, I know you well enough to know what’s going on,” Blair huffed and rolled her eyes. “It’s painfully obvious. In fact, I think everyone knows. Nate is just too naïve to realize it.”

          “You’ve lost me,” Chuck lied and gestured to the barman to give him another drink.

          “No, I haven’t, and if you don’t tell him, I will.”

          “You don’t say anything to him,” Chuck breathed. “Whatever you think you know, it’s none of your business, Waldorf.”

          He left the bar and took his drink to the balcony where there were less people. As the evening went on, a couple of girls came up to him, but he sent them all away with snide comments about their looks or social status.

          He spent most of the evening on the balcony and only went inside to refresh his drink. He didn’t even notice that the party was ending and people were leaving until Nate suddenly stood next to him and gently bumped their shoulders together.

          “So,” Nate said and smiled in that way that made all the little hair on the back of Chuck’s neck stand up. “What’s wrong?”

          “What makes you think something’s wrong?” Chuck asked quietly.

          “Well, for starters, you’ve been sulking all night and you haven’t even given me a present yet,” Nate said and gave Chuck a look that made him think of a wet puppy.

          “Not ready yet,” Chuck replied and took a sip of his drink.

          “Not ready? Please don’t tell me it’s a stripper. Clarissa would kill me.”

          Chuck shook his head. “I meant I’m not ready yet.”

          “You? So it’s not a stripper?”

          “No, not a stripper.”

          “Oh. Then what is it?”

          Chuck huffed a quiet laugh and turned to look at Nate, wondering what the hell he had been thinking when he thought he could just waltz up and confess everything to Nate, that Nate would just give up everything he had and be with him. It was a foolish idea cooked up by an even bigger fool.

          “Happy birthday, Nathaniel,” he finally said and gave Nate’s shoulder a soft squeeze. “I’ll see myself out.”

 

*

 

          “Rise and shine!”

          Chuck groaned and buried his head under his pillow, hoping that maybe if he just stayed hidden there, Blair would magically go away. That didn’t happen of course, and a moment later he felt the blanket being pulled off him.

          “Oh god, Chuck, you could at least told me you were sleeping naked.” The blanket was back quickly.

          “I didn’t exactly expect you to show up,” he grumbled from under the pillow. Then he lifted his head to glare at Blair. “If I had, I would’ve had a rose between my teeth.”

          Blair snorted and threw a set of pajamas at him. “Put these one, please.”

          “What are you doing here?” Chuck grunted as he sat up and began putting on the pajamas as instructed. “I thought you’d be back in Paris by now.”

          “I should be, but I was worried about you so I’m staying the week out.”

          “Perfect. Blair Waldrof to the rescue,” Chuck huffed bitterly and rolled his eyes. “There is nothing to be worried about, so just go home.”

          “You wish, Bass.”

          “I do, actually. Very, very much. Where’s my coffee?”

          “It’s right here, you big baby,” Blair said and placed a tray of breakfast on the bed. “Eat, drink and tell me what’s going on. You didn’t tell him, did you?”

          “What exactly is it you want me to tell Nate?” Chuck asked as he sipped the scolding coffee.

          “Oh my god, Chuck, would you drop the innocent act already?” Blair sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. “I’ve known for ages and so has everyone else. Well, except Dan, because, you know, his powers of perception are frightening low as ever.”

          Chuck felt something tighten in his chest. “Does Nathaniel--?”

          “No, he doesn’t know either, so don’t freak out.”

          Chuck nodded and sighed, rubbing over his eyes. He had no idea that his hidden feelings for Nate apparently hadn’t been hidden at all. The thought make him feel slightly queasy, so he hurried to drink some more coffee.

          “So, what are you going to do? You obviously wanted to do something about it last Saturday, but you didn’t, right?”

          “If that’s a subtle way of saying that I chickened out, then yeah,” Chuck mumbled into his cup, then sighed again. “How did you even know? Don’t tell me it’s all over _Gossip Girl_.”

          “I don’t read that garbage anymore,” Blair huffed. “But no, it isn’t.”

 

…

 

 


End file.
